MILWAUKEE (AP) Billed as a battle of All-Star captains, the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers instead took the court Tuesday night without their respective franchise players.

Missing Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is nursing an injured ankle, the Bucks repeatedly thwarted rallies by the Lakers, who didn't have the services of LeBron James due to a sore groin, before finally putting away Los Angeles 115-101.

"We didn't play well with the lead. That's frustrating on a lot of different levels," Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said.